11 Hacks For Air Travel With Infants And Toddlers

Travelling with your loved ones is a lot of fun. Trips with adults and young people do not really need so much preparation as much as travelling with kids.

If you choose to travel by air, this guide will help you make good decision that would reduce the stress and demands of travelling with infants and toddlers by air.

Sort out travelling details: Let’s say you want to travel nationally or internationally with the kids, you would likely have a lot of time to decide where you want to go, cost of the flight, sort out visa issues. Then you can book your flight ahead (for many airlines the flight cost is usually reduced if you book months before time).

Find a comfortable seat: You can request for the bulkhead seats from the airline. These seats are found in front of each section with a wall ahead, reserved for parents travelling with young children). It provides legroom and spaces for playing kids.

Aside from the bulkhead seats, you can choose seats near the front or back or a spot close to the bathroom and service galley.

Usually, kids below 2 years are allowed to sit on their parent laps. However, you can buy a separate ticket for the kids so they can sit if the trip is a long distance.

Take a night or an early morning flight: When choosing the flight time, it is better to choose an overnight flight. This helps to make it easy on the kids because bedtime is close and as soon as they settle in, sleep comes. An early flight to opens up the chances of the kids going back to sleep.

Find the airport play area: Some times flight delays are inevitable. What do you do while waiting? Find the airport play area and let the kids play until they tire out. Then as you board, you can be sure that they would be so tired that sleeping would be the only option lolls

Leave the milk out: Getting some things like liquids through security can be challenging. You can bring your cups. During the wait between boarding and take-off, you can request for milk form the flight attendants who would be willing to oblige you. Kids can suck on it during take-off in order to soothe the ear pressure.

Pack your stuff in groups: when packing do not keep similar things in different places. Toiletries should be together. Keep things like snacks, toiletries (diapers, wipes, tissue, sanitiser), change of clothes handy and not stuck in the main trunk of your bag. If at all you have to take some fluids ( water, juice and milk) then they should be in one pack preferably let them all be in your hand luggage. This would make it easy for you to find and easier to show security.

Pack your kid’s games, books, snacks: The reality is that your kids cannot sleep throughout your trip at some point they would wake up! Overpacking your kid’s games, books and snacks will help to occupy them during the journey. You can also get new once, which would likely catch their fancy. Get those books, puzzles, and colouring books.

Prepare especially for take off and landing: You have to know that takeoff and landing are a difficult part of your flight. Babies and toddlers tend to feel pain from the pressure of take-off and landing because their eustachian tubes in their ears are much smaller than that of adults. Sucking a bottle, eating snacks helps to reduce the pain.

Sleep at every opportunity: Sleeping on board is valuable because it would help you, the kids get over your jetlag and adjust fast to your new environment fast. Instead of watching those movies, shut your eyes and get some sleep.

Ask for help: You need all the help you can get on your trip, so at the airport put on your friendliest face and ask for help when you need it. People, flight attendants are usually willing to help if you are nice to them.

Do not be bothered about people: Parents are often boxed in a corner when the baby chooses to wail for the umpteen time on board. It is easy to worry about how people think but you do not have to be at all. Things may not go as planned; accept the problem and roll with it. Relax your rules and try your best to soothe and calm your child. Your attitude on the trip will determine whether it would be an enjoyable or a bad flight.